Electrolytic cell



Dec. 29, 1942 G. E. SCHIFFBAUER', JR. ET AL ELECTROLYTIC CELL- Filed Nov. 17, 1939 INVENTORS .SCHIFFBAUERJR. MCC USKEY RNE Patented Dec. 29, 1942 UNITED sr ELECTROLYTIC CELL George E. Schifibauer, Jr., East St. Louis, and Joseph T. McCluskey, Collinsville, Ill.

Application November 17, 1939, Serial No. 304,932

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to an electrolytic cell and particularly to that type of cell in which a sodium chloride solution is decomposed to produce chlorine, hydrogen and caustic soda. Heretofore cells for this purpose have most commonly been provided with an anode of a large number of graphite rods or bars extending through openings in the head or cover of the device so as to be suspended in the solution to be decomposed. A cell of such construction is not only expensive to manufacture due to the large number of parts employed but results in a weakened head which is thus liable to crack. Further, such suspended anode rods become weakened at the point at which they enter the brine and hence are liable to be broken by jars of any kind. Another objection to this form of cell is the time and labor involved 'in assembling and disassembling the cell, which operation must be performed periodically to renew deteriorated anodes or for other reasons.

One object of our invention is to produce a cell having a single anode, preferably of hollow cylindrical form, and to support such anode from the base of the cell so that it may be completely submerged in the electrolyte.

Another object of our invention is to construct the cell of a minimum number of units, each of which may be conveniently handled in assembling and disassembling the cell.

A still further object of our invention is to improve the details of construction of the cell as described in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates one form of electrolytic cell made in accordance with our invention, Figure 1 is a side view, partly in elevation and partly in section; Figure 2' is a section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

The numeral 5 indicates the base of the cell which is circular in form and formed of concrete. Formed in the upper face of the base is a central depression 6 surrounded by an annular recess 1. Seated in the depression 6 is the anode bus 8 in the form of a copper disk having a contact 9 extending down through the base. This disk is preferably partially cut away as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2 to reduce the amount of metal used. The bus may be molded in the base to form a part thereof. Resting on the bus is the anode I ll. This anode is made of graphite and is in the form of a hollow cylinder. It is provided at its lower end with openings l I for asbestos paper.

the passage of the brine and in its upper part with slots l2 for the same purpose and to prevent gas bubbles from blocking off the upper part of the anode. To hold the anode in position, a seal I3 of fusible metal such as lead alloy is poured into the depression 6 after the anode is placed on the bus.

The body or shell of the device consists of a cylinder [4 of steelv or the like, the lower end of which extends into the recess 1 and rests upon a rubber gasket l5 therein. Its edge is preferably provided with a flange l6 to prevent cutting the gasket. The shell is held in position by a clamp ring I! provided with bolts l8 passing up through holes in the base and engaging with lugs I 9 on the shell. Nuts serve to draw the shell firmly against the gasket. To protect the seal l3 from the action of the liquid in the cell, it is covered by a layer 2| of plastic dielectric such as pitch. This layer is extended over into the annular recess 1 to assist in forming a liquid-tight joint between the base and shell. The cathode 22 comprises a screen 23 of perforated sheet metal and a covering 24 of diaphragm material such as The upper and lower edges of the screen are turned over outwardly to form flanges 25 which are welded to the shell so that the shell and cathode form a unit structure with a cathode chamber 26 between the parts. A cathode bus bar 21 is brazed to the shell and is provided with a downwardly extending contact 28.

The upper end of the shell extends above the cathode to receive the cover 29 which seats on the upper flange 25 of the screen. A lute 30 of pitch or the like between the shell and cover provides a gas-tight joint. A pipe 3| in the cover serves to carry off the liberated chlorine. Hydrogen is conveyed from the upper end of chamber 26 by a pipe 32 and caustic soda from the lower end by pipe 33.

In Figure 1 we have shown one convenient way of mounting our cell. In this arrangement the base 5 of the cell rests upon a support 34 having a central channel 35. Mounted in channel 35 are conductors 36 having spring arms 37 for engagement with the contacts 9 and 28.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An electrolytic cell structure comprising a non-conducting base having a central depression, an anode bus in said depression, an anode supported on said bus, said anode having passages for th electrolyte formed in its lower edge,

an annular recess in said base surrounding said depression, an annular cathode extending into said recess, a fusible seal in said depression, and a dielectric covering for said seal, said covering extending through said passages into said recess to form a liquid-tight seal between the base and cathode.

2. An electrolytic cell structure comprising a non-conducting base having a central depression surrounded by an annular recess, an annular cathode structure, said cathode structure including a shell and a foraminous cathode rigidly secured thereto, ing below the cathode, an anode bus in said depression, a unitary annular anode supported on said bus, said anode having passages for the electrolyte formed in its lower edge, a fusible seal in the depression to hold. the anode, an elastic gasket in the recess upon which the projecting rim of the shell rests, and a dielectric covering for the seal extending through said passages into the recess to form a liquid-tight joint between the base and the projecting rim of the shell.

said shell having a rim project 3. An electrolytic cell structure comprising a non-conducting base having a central depression surrounded by an annular recess, an annular cathode structure seated in said recess, said cathode structure including a shell and a foraminous cathode rigidly secured thereto, said shell extending above and below the cathode, an anode bus in said depression, a unitary annular anode supported on said bus and terminating below the upper end of the cathode, said anode having passages for the electrolyte formed in its lower edge, an elastic gasket in said recess and supporting the lower end of the shell, a clamping ring on the underside of the base, lugs on the shell, bolts connecting said ring and lugs to draw the shell against the gasket, a fusible seal in the depression to hold the anode, a dielectric covering for said seal extending through said passages into the recess, and a cover seated on the upper end of the cathode within the shell.

GEORGE E. SCHIFFBAUER, JR. JOSEPH T. MCCLUSKEY. 

